Upgrading Touchstone Back Magnets, with pix

[bbroecker]

I'm not here to debate whether the magnets in the TS back are powerful enough to hold the Pre while mounted in the car. Clearly, they get the job done. On the other hand, the upgrade of the magnets was fairly trivial (and inexpensive) to perform, so here's my rundown of what was required.

Note: I found references (well, one ref) to another write up of how to do this on Mobile Files, but was never able to track that down.

You will need:

1. Touchstone Back
2. Touchstone Base
3. Some kind of sharp instrument (i.e. Pocket or X-acto knife)
4. Upgraded Magnets

Place the TS base on a flat surface in front of you. You will need this to align the magnets and determine the proper polarity.

Peel back one corner of the black plastic covering inside the TS cover. You will see the old magnet underneath the cover, behind the clearly marked depression. Pop the old magnet out (it is glued in, so be patient, take it slow, and it will come out).

NOTE: Only remove one magnet at a time!

Time to install the new magnet. I purchased 5mm X 1mm disc Neodymium magnets. In retrospect, 6mm magnets would be a better fit.

Place the TS back onto the base and allow the remaining three magnets to align the back on the base. You will use the base to discover the polarity of your new magnet (unlike the old magnets, my new ones were not marked).

Drop the new magnet into the depression in the back. The magnets in the base will either force the new magnet away from the depression (polarity is reversed) or will draw it into the appropriate position (polarity is matched). Double check your alignment and stick the plastic covering back down over the new magnet. Place the TS back on a hard surface and give the covering a good rub down to ensure that it is stuck down securely.

Lather, rinse, repeat

I recommend that, after replacing two of the four magnets you reinstall the back on your phone just to double check your alignment on the base. I do occasionally get the charging dance, but I attribute that largely to having magnets that are too small.

Q.E.D., and the alignment action when placing the phone on the TS is much more positive, not mushy at all.

[daaknes]

Do you have a recommendation on where to buy the magnets?

Thanks for the tutorial...

[swieder]

Very interesting. A link on where to get the magnets would be very helpful.

[rpr]

I have had good luck with these people: Strong Neodymium Magnets Rare Earth K&J Magnetics

[bbroecker]

K&J I've heard is reputable. I used SuperMagnetMan.

Here's the part I used
and here's what I recommend now.

[pkisme]

Thanks for the tip! I just ordered my magnets today. I have the seidio innocase on my Pre and the stock magnets don't seem strong enough to hold the phone in the right spot to charge on the Touchstone. I am constantly having to adjust the phone so it will continue charging. I am hoping the stronger magnets fix the problem!

[fastamx79]

Originally Posted by pkisme

Thanks for the tip! I just ordered my magnets today. I have the seidio innocase on my Pre and the stock magnets don't seem strong enough to hold the phone in the right spot to charge on the Touchstone. I am constantly having to adjust the phone so it will continue charging. I am hoping the stronger magnets fix the problem!

Keep us posted!! I have an Innocase as well and would like to upgrade the magnets as well for a more secure fit on the TS.

I haven't had bad luck with it sliding off, but sometimes do fiddle with it a lot to find the sweet spot (even harder after a night of bar hopping! lol)

[pkisme]

Well, I just installed my upgraded magnet. Without my Innocase on my Pre it works fantastic! It is very secure on the Touchstone. However, with my Innocase on the Pre it cycles between charging and not charging when I put it on the Touchstone. Looks like I am going to swap my Touchstone cover with my wifes since she does not have an Innocase and it will work with hers.

Anyone have any idea why this would work without the Innocase and not with one installed?? I was hoping the stronger magnets would hold the pre in place better. I was thinking the new magnets are just slightly larger than the old ones so maybe that itty bitty little distance is too far for the Pre to properly connect to the Touchstone with the Innocase on it?

[dray_jr]

this is a great idea my phone seems very sloppy on the TS base. It has been driving me nuts because i wake up in the AM and it is laying on the table instead of the TS

so i am guessing i just did not set it on there all that good and it slides off over night.

[pkisme]

Well, I put my wife's Touchstone back on my Pre with the Innocase on my phone and put the one with the upgraded magnets on her phone without an Innocase. Her phone without an Innocase on it works fine on the Touchstone with the upgraded magnets just like mine did without the Innocase.

The weird thing is that even with her un-modified Touchstone back on my phone with the Innocase I could not get it to work right. It kept doing the charging/not-charging thing again. I figured I messed something up so I took the upgraded magnet Touchstone back off my wife's phone, put the original magnets on it, and put it on my phone again with the Innocase. Now for some reason my phone with the Innocase on it will only work right on the Touchstone as long as the Touchstone back has the stock magnets in. Truly has me puzzled since the one from my wife's phone should be exactly like mine (when I have the original magnets in).

[dfroelich]

I tried it with 6x1mm neodinium magnets, and while the phone locked onto the ts easily...it wouldn't charge. Around the edges, there was a slight gap, implying the magnets were a little tall. I think the contacts on the case were not hitting those on the phone.

I have a carbon fiber sticker on the case, but I do not think that affected it.

Oh well.

[tinnov]

I'm about to try these... Based on the descriptions in the post so far, they should be almost a perfect fit. Just a hair over 6mm wide and about .7 mm thick.

....

Well, wanted to share the link, but this board will not let me until I have made 10 posts.

Sorry guys.

[zmann]

I use to use a sedio case,,i know what you mean on how poorly it sits on ts. I switched to the verizon case w the ts cut out and I'll tell you what, the cut out is in exact sweet spot. No fiddling around,just one way to place it,the perfect spot,,also the connection is so strong,u could not knock it off if you tried.

[RyanCell]

Anyone try this with a modified seidio or extended ebay battery? Due to the extra weight/different case back of the extended back panel, it seems like using upgraded magnets may be just what I need to make it feel more secure. I'm gonna try a local craft store and see if they carry the magnets and attempt this.

[Whiteboy182]

While I have not tried to upgrade the magnets in my TS back I just wanted to throw out another recommendation for K&J Magnetics. I have ordered Neodymium magnets from them before and there were genuinely nice people to work with and very helpful.

[rpankoe]

Originally Posted by zmann

I use to use a sedio case,,i know what you mean on how poorly it sits on ts. I switched to the verizon case w the ts cut out and I'll tell you what, the cut out is in exact sweet spot. No fiddling around,just one way to place it,the perfect spot,,also the connection is so strong,u could not knock it off if you tried.

Are you saying that the Verizon case with the TS cutout WORKS with a Sedio case?? I've been looking for a holster clip that that case will work with!

[iamlilysdad]

Originally Posted by pkisme

Well, I just installed my upgraded magnet. Without my Innocase on my Pre it works fantastic! It is very secure on the Touchstone. However, with my Innocase on the Pre it cycles between charging and not charging when I put it on the Touchstone. Looks like I am going to swap my Touchstone cover with my wifes since she does not have an Innocase and it will work with hers.

Anyone have any idea why this would work without the Innocase and not with one installed?? I was hoping the stronger magnets would hold the pre in place better. I was thinking the new magnets are just slightly larger than the old ones so maybe that itty bitty little distance is too far for the Pre to properly connect to the Touchstone with the Innocase on it?

with the innocase on the distance between the phone and touchstone is too much for the connection to be stable. it works on in induction, which relies on proximity, which you don't get with cases that don't have a cutout and/or shallow area on the back.

[RyanCell]

After reading the post about another user discovering that they are not actually magnets in the touchstone back cover, but pieces of metal that attached to magnets in the touchstone base, I'm hesitant to put magnets IN the case cover. I am thinking of a thicker piece of metal in the case perhaps...

[NickDG]

Wouldn't magnet to magnet be a stronger hold than just metal?

[RyanCell]

Im more worried about the effects of a magnet on the electronics and possibility of the phone coming in contact with credit cards in my wallet when I empty my pants. Probably rare to damage, but possible I guess.